Events Calendar

The Assault on Self-Esteem

Title: The Assault on Self-EsteemSpeaker: Dr. Edwin A. Locke, Dean's Professor (Emeritus) of Motivation and Leadership at the R. H. Smith School of Business at the University of MarylandDescription: In this lecture Dr. Locke identifies the objective basis of and critical psychological need for self-esteem, and examines four contemporary intellectual movements that—while sometimes claiming to build self-esteem—are working to destroy it. First among these are psychologists who claim that self-esteem is based on social approval, thereby encouraging people to become second-handers. In education the trend is to make students "feel good" by sacrificing academic standards, which makes students less competent to deal with reality. Dr. Locke also looks at the assault on self-esteem mounted by religionists, who advocate humility and faith, and by philosophers, whose persistent attacks on reason have resulted in widespread skepticism and moral self-doubt. The result of these influences has been the gradual destruction of the true source of self-esteem—man's confidence in his own mind. Dr. Locke argues that the antidote to these influences is the philosophy of Objectivism.Bio: Dr. Locke, Dean's Professor (Emeritus) of Motivation and Leadership at the University of Maryland, has published more than 230 articles, chapters and books on subjects such as leadership, work motivation, goal setting, job satisfaction, incentives, and the philosophy of science. He is internationally known for his work on human motivation. He is the author of such books as The Prime Movers: Traits of the Great Wealth Creators (AMACOM Books, 2000), Goal Setting: A Motivational Technique That Works (with G. Latham) and Postmodernism and Management: Pros, Cons and the Alternative (JAI: Elsevier, 2003). He is also the editor of Principles of Organizational Behavior (Blackwell Publishers, 2000). Dr. Locke is a consulting editor for professional journals, and his commentaries have been published in numerous newspapers, including the Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune, Houston Chronicle, Dallas Morning News, Detroit Free Press, Arizona Republic, Dallas Morning News, Boston Globe, Orange County Register and the Cincinnati Enquirer.Where: Taper Hall of Humanities, Room 201, University of Southern California.When: Thursday, January 28, 2010, at 7:00 p.m.More information: Please e-mail the USC Objectivist club, at james@uscobjectivists.com.

Location: Mark Taper Hall Of Humanities (THH) - 201

Audiences: Everyone Is Invited

Contact: Georgia Lum